Teaching life lessons

Behavior, values part of curriculum at charter school

Fort Lauderdale — They looked ready for a school play or concert, with the girls dressed in plaid jumpers and the boys in ties of the same design. But this was no special occasion, just formal Friday.

And though they were just clothes, the school uniforms at Charter School of Excellence sent a clear message: Children should look their best.

That, school officials say, develops character.

Guiding the behavior, and to some extent the values, of students might seem out of the ordinary for a public school, where the focus is often on standardized test scores. But this is a charter school, which has more freedom over curriculum than a traditional public school.

At Charter School of Excellence -- an A-school for four years -- character is part of the curriculum. Teachers use pictures, songs and stories to teach students everything from the importance of integrity to realizing actions have consequences.

"When they're behaving, when they're doing the right thing, they have more time to learn," Principal Lisa Castro said of the school's 310 students.

Charter schools are educational hybrids -- privately run public schools independent of school districts. Even though these taxpayer-funded schools have more academic freedom, they still have to adhere to state academic standards, which includes character education.

"We not only teach them their ABCs, but we teach them life lessons," said Ruth Kalinsky, the school's fine arts teacher. "We teach them to be better humans."

Students learn responsibility first.

"I have to be a good boy," David Lowthrop, 6, said while pointing to a poster outlining the class rules.

The sign read: Lips are closed. Hands are still. Feet are quiet.

"I have to follow the rules. I want to go to first grade," the kindergartner said.

Each month features a character trait. As students mature, so does the sophistication of the trait. Kindergartners, for example, learn about virtue vs. impurity. Fourth-graders: deference vs. disrespect.

These might seem like big words for little people, but students know what they mean and how to apply them.

By January, David and his classmates advanced to orderliness.

Seated at teeny, tidy tables, students raised their hands to answer questions. No one blurted things out.

"Here, you can use mine," Jefvarie Wright says, handing a pencil to a friend. "I have extras."

It was math class. They were doing a timed practice worksheet. And Jefvarie's friend needed to change an answer (9 + 2 = 11 not 12) but didn't have an eraser on his pencil.

In one day, students unknowingly exhibited multiple character traits. They wrote essays on fire safety (cautiousness), answered questions in class (boldness), or helped grade papers (thoroughness).

"A lot of these kids don't get it at home," Principal Lisa Castro said. "If they're not getting it at home, I feel like it's our responsibility to teach them."

When parents enroll students they sign a contract acknowledging they have the primary responsibility for their children's education and agreeing to volunteer at least 20 hours at the school per year. But with almost 90 percent of the students coming from single-parent homes, school officials realize that parents often are overwhelmed.

To accommodate working parents, the school, at 1217 SE Third Ave., opens 30 minutes before classes begin at 8 a.m. and closes more than two hours after the day ends at 2:45 p.m. During that extra time, there are academic enrichment programs where students finish homework or receive tutoring.

Getting in trouble even becomes an exercise in character for students.

When someone misbehaves, they fill out a student reflection form. In filling in the blanks, one second-grader who was sent to the principal's office said:

"I felt mad. The other student felt sad. My teacher is upset. So are my parents. I didn't follow the rules [keep hands to myself]."

"For a child to take responsibility," Castro said. "That's huge."

Akilah Johnson can be reached at akjohnson@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4527.